Amara’s POV
The woods had a new feel.
It became quieter as I went farther. No wind. No birds. Only the sound of my breathing and the gentle crunch of leaves under my boots.
Something inside of me told me to go back. However, like a quiet compass, the mark on my skin pulsed, warm and steady, guiding me forward. I only knew I had to keep walking; I had no idea where I was headed.
"Where am I?” I said as I looked about. "Spirits, please show me if you're here."
The air had been calm a moment before, but now a soft breeze coiled around me. Like a hand drawing me forward, it pulled at my cloak.
I did the same.
Ancient stones, moss-covered and fractured with age, replaced the trees. They resembled forgotten pillars from another era, standing in odd patterns.
There was a secret grove wher
